Darknet Diaries 166: Maxie
132 snips
Dec 2, 2025 
Maxie Reynolds, a professional penetration tester and entrepreneur, shares her electrifying journey from underwater robotics to cybersecurity. She recounts daring physical intrusions, including impersonating a Swedish executive to breach a factory. Maxie reveals the adrenaline rush of red teaming and the chaos of network scans. She discusses her innovative idea of underwater data centers, explaining how they operate and their environmental benefits. Tune in for thrilling stories and insights into both hacking and tech security!
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First Pen Test: Swedish Pretext
- Maxie first discovered physical pen testing watching an operator remotely open security doors and knew she wanted that job.
- She volunteered and successfully social‑engineered her way past reception by posing as a Swedish executive, then was detained when her accent betrayed her.
Accidental Citywide Outage
- While plugged into a city's network during an internal test, Maxie accidentally ran a command that shut off the municipal water supply.
- She was detained, questioned as a potential spy, and narrowly avoided legal action after her employer vouched for her.
Respect The Power Of Pen Testing
- Treat penetration testing as exposing real, high‑impact risks because one keystroke can wreck a business.
- Plan tests and safeguards to avoid causing outages or leaking sensitive data during engagements.
